Yemeni Mandi 3

🥘 Ingredients

• coriander 2 tsp
• cloves 1 tsp
• black pepper corns 1 tbsp
• cumin 1 ½ tsp
• ground coriander 3 tsp
• olive oil 2 tbsp
• Halal chicken thighs 2
• Halal chicken drumsticks 6
• slivered almonds 0.67 cup
• peanut oil 1 tbsp
• raisins ½ cup
• yellow onions 4
• peanut oil 1 cup
• lime juice 2 tbsp
• bay leaves 4
• water 2 cups
• Halal chicken broth 4 cups
• turmeric 1 ½ tsp
• salt to taste
• basmati rice 3 cups

Marinade

1. 1

   For the marinade, start by toasting the coriander , cloves , black pepper corns , and cumin in a pan over low heat until fragrant, then grind in a food processor into a coarse powder. Mix in the ground coriander to the mixture and set aside 2 tsp of this spice blend for later. Add the olive oil to the remaining blend and mix into a thick paste. Evenly coat the Halal chicken thighs and Halal chicken drumsticks in this and set aside to marinate for 1 hour .

Almonds and Raisins

1. 1

   Toast the slivered almonds in peanut oil until golden-brown and remove from heat, then toast the raisins in the leftover oil and mix in with the almonds before setting them aside.

Crispy Onions

1. 1

   Thinly slice the yellow onions and cook in a large pot over medium heat in peanut oil until golden-brown, then remove most of the onions from the pot to drain on a paper towel lined plate to get crispy, leaving a few tablespoons of onion in the pot.

Steaming the Chicken

1. 1

   Add the reserved spice blend to the pot with the lime juice , bay leaves , and water , and bring to a simmer. Add a wire rack to the bottom of the pot and spread the chicken out over the simmering liquid as evenly as possible. Cover and vent to let the chicken steam for 50 minutes , checking every 10 minutes to add more water if needed.

Baking the Chicken

1. 1

   When the chicken is steamed, remove it from the pot and lay out on a lined baking sheet to bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes , until cooked through. Meanwhile, remove the wire rack from the pot, strain the liquid from the bottom to remove the solids, and add Halal chicken broth to the liquid until you have 4 ½ cups.

Rice

1. 1

   Add this liquid back to the pot with turmeric and salt , add the basmati rice , then cover and simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes , until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Then remove from heat, mix in the raisins and almonds, and serve with the chicken.